The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-05-19

Beyond the sunset We behold
Another dawn with fairer light,
While watchers whisper through the night
There comes : time when We grow old.
FLoRUs B. PLYMProN.
SHERMAN AND LEE
The current number OF the North
American Review contains an elaborate
article by General William T. Sherman
in the nature Of . reply to General
Lord Wolseley's article in Macmillan's
Magazine of few months since, \ very
full abstract Of which was cabled from
London at the time Of its publication.
Gen. Sherman takes for the text of his
paper the following extract from Gen.
eral Wolseley' article:
When all the angry feelings reused by se-
cession are buried with those which existed
when the Declaration Of Independence was
written, when Americans can review the
history Of their last great rebellion with
calm impartiality, believe that Ill will ad-
init that General Lee lowered far above all
men on either side Of the struggle. | believe
he will be regarded: not only e the most
prominent figure Of the COnfederacy, but as
the great American Of the Nineteeth Cen
tury whose statue Is well worthy to stand
on an equal pedestal with that OF Washing.
ton, and whose memory is equally worthy
to be enshrined in the hearts Of all his
cOuntrymen.
Concerning this General Sherman
says:
As ! happen to be one of the very
few survivors Of the great civil war in
America who had a personal and pro-
fessional acquaintance with the chief
actors in that grand drama, am COM
PEELED to join issue with General Wolse-
ley in his conclusion. while willing to
admit nearly all his premises. Though
he is much my junior in years. ! enter
tain for him the highest respect and al.
miration; he has deservedly gained
fame by deeds here in America. in
South Africa. Egypt and in Great
Britain. His estimate of the men
whom he has met in life will command
large attention, but trust his judg.
ment in this case will not be accepted
BY the military world as conclusive and
final. In all wars, in all controversies,
there are two sides and the old Roman
maxim applies, .Andi alteran partem' =
FEW MEASUREMENTS.
We all admit that General Robert E,
Lee was, in the highest acceptation Of
the term. "a gentleman and soldier. =
He did not graduate at the head Of his
class at West Point, as stated by Gener.
al Wolseley, for "Cullum's Register
shows that Charles Mason, Of New
York, afterwards of Iowa, was No. !
of the date of 1929; that Robert E. Lee
of Virginia. was No. 2. and that JOSEPH
f. johnson. also of Virginia, was No
Is in that class of forty-slx members
Lee was very handsome in person. gen
tie and dignitied in manner. cool anl
self-possessed in the midst Of confusion
and battle, not seeking strife, but equa
to it when it came and the very type oi
manhood which would impress itsel
on the young enthusiast, Genera
Wolseley. That special phase of hi
character. which General Wolsele,
thinks a weakness his invariable sub
mission to the President Of the South
ern Confederacy. is probably better un
derstood on this than the other side o
the Atlantic, where from childhood t,
manhood is impressed on us the oil.
fundamental doctrine that the pen i
mightier than the sword and that tn
military must be subordinate to tn
civil authority.
General Lee was typical American
and knew that the Southern State
pendent nation by united action inde
a president armed with both militar,
and civil functions and he was unques
tionably right in subordinating his con
duct to the head of the government
which he had chosen and undertake.
to support and defend.
There was fair election in November
1860, for a president under that consti
tuition. The Southern people freel
participated in that election. Afte
they were fairly beaten and Abraham
Lincoln, of Illinois, was duly elected
. some of the Southern leaders, delvin
back into the old distractions of l77t
1889. revived the doctrine of state a
legiance, that man happening to b
born in state Gan accident which h
cloud not controD his allegiance be
! came due thereby to that state and nc
} to the aggregation Of states. the Union
l have too high An opinion Of Geners
. Robert f. Lee to believe that he coul
have been humbuggeu by such shallo'
doctrine. No! many Of us believe thu
Lee. in 1861, saw and felt the APPROACH
ing horrors and tortures of a civil wal
resigne.. his commission in the army
. hoped to hide away: first declined sci
vice in the SO called confederacy, an
accepted temporary service to defen
Virginia, his native state: but bein
; possessed of large qualities he was in
; portuned. dragooned and forced to sc
in" to drift over the Niagara, whic
was inevitable and which he must hay
. foreseen. His letter of April 90, 1856
addressed to Lieutenant General Scot
is in that direction.
. ..Since my interview with you on Il
, 18th inst, l have felt that l ought 4